This was such a fun experience. We weren't sure how it would be when we booked because some of the reviews weren't so kind. It was a great deal + our host was exceptional. She was attentive and helped when we asked for help (occasionally). We definitely plan on going to their other room in the future. This was a hidden gem. read more

Took our son and his friends for his 13th birthday. Brian was super accommodating with my many questions during reservations and allowing me to add another person before we started. We were also a few minutes late and they were understanding. We did Jester's Revenge and made it out with just over a minute to spare. We needed some hints along the way, but the set up and puzzles were fun. Had a great time! read more

This was a family friendly Escape room, it wasn't impossible, but challenging enough to keep us entertained and have fun. Staff was great.

It's hard to see why it has so many rave reviews, unless this is everybody else's first escape room. They should go to EscapeX rooms a block away and THEN tell me this place is 5 stars. We did the president's treasure-themed room. It looked and felt like we were just in an ordinary office with foam-tiled ceilings and normal office ceiling lighting. All of the hints and several puzzles were on laminated pieces of paper. One puzzle was a literal video game we had to play. Very few seemed actually connected to the theme. One key we had a very hard time finding even after being explicitly told where it was. Props were very bargain-bin and lazily applied. Pros: One or two of the puzzles were clever, everything worked as it was supposed to, and the attendant was friendly and helpful. read more

Alas, our losing streak continues! But, but, but, No. 1 Escapes' Jester Revenge was a refreshing new theme for us, and an hour of jocularity that we highly recommend if you are in the Irvine vicinity. With a small group, we are limited in which rooms we can play, but for now, No. 1 Escapes has two rooms that will accommodate a two-person party. In choosing to tumble with No. 1 Escapes, cost was certainly a factor in our decision, as was the private room policy where we could play without our masks. For sure, at their current pricing, it is much, much more cost-effective to play there than in Los Angeles. Irvine, as a destination, has Orange County's best offerings, as far as food and other activities, so it is no fool's errand to make the drive. We are tired of paying top-dollar for the same in LA just to have to play with masks on while doing physical activity, which, as players know, escape rooms are, even though we don't sweat it quite as much as playing football. We chose to play Saturday afternoon because their first available game Friday was at 8:30pm, and we usually like to play first thing in the morning. However, for our game, we decided to book a mid-day slot, because No. 1 Escapes is located in the same business complex as the Puzzle Workshop (previously reviewed) and at least one other escape room company, and we knew exactly how long it would take us to get there from South Coast Plaza after lunch (6 minutes). Parking is free right in front of the business complex and plentiful on a Saturday. It was a skip and up a short flight of stairs to No. 1 Escapes. Per virus precautions, we filled out our waivers ahead of time online, so there was no waiting at all, and our game began immediately after the intro video - which was not as rousing as other intro videos we've watched - but who watches the intro video anyway?! That said, Jester's Revenge was less immersive than the other rooms we've played, but the mostly linear puzzles were really fun to solve and very witty. I would call it a no-tech room until the big picture is complete: you don't get a lot of lights and sound effects as you are playing the game. This seems to be an Orange County thing vs the rooms in LA, which tend to wow more with the gadgetry and props with the higher prices to match, as one may expect. The story is not new: once-lauded court jester goes crazy, so the king orders us to break into his chambers and to see if we can turn the lights back on. Many years ago, the David Saltzman book "The Jester Has Lost His Jingle" was a bedtime favourite in our home, and this game certainly triggered those treasured memories. We started off in two rooms, one much smaller (mathematically-challenged, be warned!), and the other the bigger room, so I would say off the bat that if we had one more person in the bigger room, we would have been able to get out with time to spare. In completing each task, too, we had to be very careful, so clumsy fingers and any kind of rush would get us back to the beginning. In other words, each task actually took time. Also, we used the toilet (pleasant, no-frills, right there in the lobby) mid-game for the first time ever (lunch, I tell you!), which probably took seconds off our time, but not by much. Jester's Revenge *is* a well-played game, and the locks are a little glitchy. Also, the mic didn't work in the smaller room, so we were really lucky we had in Emily a really good gamemaster. She had to come into the smaller room in-person to give the hints, which was fine, because, unlike one of our previous games where the gamemaster just tapped you on the shoulder mid-game (which was really disconcerting), she knocked every time she did, a courtesy very much appreciated. Methinks were we to finish an escape room too early, it doesn't seem like we get as much beer for our mead, and we are more than fine with not making a full escape out of a room because, for us, a jolly time is to be had in just playing. Since Jester's Revenge is opened to two people only for a limited time, it was mere trivia that we did not manage to escape ...! For two people, it's a romping gambol if you like escape rooms just for the cheer (which we do), but you would need to be more experienced than us (or maybe it was Post-Lunch Sleepiness Syndrome - haha!) to solve it with just two people. We forswore our victory with three locks to go - and I think if there wasn't another booking after us, we would have been given the extra time. Our rating is for 4-stars because we can't rate 4.5, with the 0.5 off for technical problems, but it was a merry gallop we had, most certainly. If you are a child or one at heart who likes funny hats, babies, gross things and nursery rhymes; if you fear not to juggle in the muck, it would be a very quick solve indeed! We can't wait to go back soon to play Revolution, their game actually designed for two! Thanks for the great pictures! read more

Awesome experience all around! Friendly staff and well-organized process to sign the waiver and begin the escape room. Our group had three newbies to escape rooms and No.1 did not disappoint! Clues were challenging enough to make us think but also not feeling defeated - we were able to escape - woohoo! I would highly recommend No.1 to others! Thank you for such a great experience! read more

Had a good experience here with Revolution as my first ever escape room. Staff was very friendly and engaging, and I liked that we were asked about feedback/comments at the end. I could see myself coming back with friends to try Jester's Revenge some time. read more

I really don't know why reviews are so high for this place. The room design and theming was super cheap, like a normal office building throwing a Halloween party. The carpet was dirty, props were wobbly and lazily designed, the building's fluorescent lights and ceiling tiles were left as is, it was only one single room (as opposed to unlocking doors that expand the adventure). The plot was shallow and boring. "Find the treasure that presidents hid" was basically it. The host, as nice as they were, was uninspiring as hell. Most of the clues didn't fit the plot or theme - mostly a series of random puzzles and math problems. All these issues and yet the price was as high as some INCREDIBLE ones I've done elsewhere. read more

As I read another person's review, I'm shaking my head... they gave one star because they couldn't escape. We also did Jester's Revenge and solved it in 44 minutes, which I hear was pretty good. I was just happy that I helped get us out. Yes, the decor was sparse, but imo this puzzle and room did not need a bunch of decorations to confuse you because the decor and puzzle was just enough to make you think. Our group consisted of three teenagers and two parents. The host was very sweet and helped us (one clue each team) out and clapped as we unlocked the door to our room. Would I do this again, here, YES! I appreciated that the rooms were well lit - the other three escape rooms I've experienced were so dimly lit, I could hardly see/read the clues! read more

We had an amazing time as a family! Ben was really helpful and we had a blast. We all had a part in escape. It's a great team building activity. By the way, we made it out alive! Highly recommended! Can't wait to go back. Felt very safe and clean. read more

No.1 Escapes - Escape Games Near Me - Irvine, California

We booked the Revolution room for my daughter's 10 yr birthday party. We chose this one for the skill level. It was challenging for them, but we were able to get as many clues as we needed. The experience is no fun if it's too hard The staff was also very nice. Highly recommend this escape room for good fun. read more

My group of 4 girls (The Four Hoursemen) and two of our knights came here on a last minute whim to do their Treasure of the Nation room. These two guys are fairly new to the business and have only been running a few months but boy was this room fun! Adam graciously offered us 10% off and we made a same day booking for their 1130pm slot. Booking was simple and took seconds. When we got there we got right to it. They explained the rules and the backstory and off we went! The decor in the room was very "presidential" feeling which fits well into the theme and was really beautiful. Everything looks well made and cared for. At first it didn't seem like there was much to do but then it quickly picked up as time ticked on. The puzzles themselves were pretty hard. When we look back it wasn't as complex as we thought but it definitely was one of more challenging rooms I've ever done as far as brain power. We almost thought we weren't going to escape!! In the end, with 1:05 left, we finally escaped. The only downsides I found in this room were that the storyline wasn't developed as much as I had hoped, and that for hints they come into the room to talk with you, so it kind of kills the vibe of being "locked in". You get unlimited free hints though, so don't be afraid to use them! Having said that, these guys definitely seem like they will continue to improve and create more amazing stuff, and my group is excited to to return soon! read more

No.1 Escapes - Escape Games Near Me - Irvine, California

I've done both the Jester's Revenge and Revolution rooms and I was super impressed. Out of all the escape rooms I've been to, this one took their smaller budget and created the most intricate and dedicated environments I've seen - i.e. it really feels like I'm escaping from a room. The price is also on the cheaper side compared to The Escape Game at Irvine Spectrum and a few other places, and it delivers to the same if not a higher level. Will definitely be coming back once the rooms are renovated. read more

My friends and I had so much for here. I'm glad I chose this place as our first escape room. A bit of advice: don't overthink it. Haha! read more

This was my second time at an Escape room. The people with me it was all their first time. No. 1 Escapes was fun. The person there was very nice and helpful. The Treasure of the Nation room was a little easier than my other experience. Even though we didn't finish in the allotted time it didn't seem as difficult as the other room I had done. I think Escape rooms are fun if everyone wants to participate. Our host was telling us that there are people who go Escape room to Escape room frequently to break records. I don't think I could ever get that hard core into it, but it was fun. I think it was about $30 per person which can get costly for only an hour's worth of entertainment. But if you like this sort of entertainment I think people will say the value is there. It's a good time to celebrate a birthday or other special occasion if the person you are celebrating likes this sort of adventure. read more

My girlfriend and I do quite a few escape rooms and this was definitely a very well thought out escape room. We had a blast, all the puzzles made sense, our game master was awesome and it was an overall great experience. Will be back for their other room. read more

I cannot speak any higher about this place! Everything was wonderful! We did Jesters Revenge and the game was amazing from start to finish. The puzzles were some of the most original and fun I've seen in any escape room! Our GM was fantastic as well! Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun experience or even to work their minds for an hour! read more

No.1 Escapes - We escaped the Jesters Revenge! - Escape Games Near Me - Irvine, California

Great Mother's Day activity. Brian was awesome, and even after the post-brunch fog, we woke up and got into it. Great time, and we'll programmed. read more

Super fun GNO with my friends. We did Jester's Revenge and escaped with 11 minutes to spare. I think we used 3 hints. Clever clues and puzzles. Each of us found ways to contribute. Really enjoyed it! And Brian was kind and helpful from the time of booking to the time we finished the room read more

Brian truly goes above and beyond in his treatment of the customers. He was very accommodating of our large group, even as we had some last minute changes. The room itself, Revolution, was a great introductory escape room for our team. If you have a large group of newer players or are looking for a team-building activity, this is the place to go! read more

I brought my 13 yr old and 6 of his friends here for his birthday. They did the Revolution escape room and had a blast. The staff was friendly and very helpful, the facility was very clean and well thought out. The staff and owners were all incredibly friendly and accommodating. It was a great experience for everyone. Definitely recommend! read more

A fantastic time! Really enjoyed Jester's Revenge & host Ruben was great. It was my mom's first escape room and she loved it!

Great fun for the whole family. We did Revolution, everyone was a beginner and they loved it. We will definitely be back to try Jester. Thanks Brian and team for being so friendly. read more

It was my 14 year old daughter's birthday and she decided she wanted to try this escape room. She and 3 of her went and had an absolute blast!! They couldn't stop talking about it and already said they want to come back and try out the other room. The 4 girls were the only 4 in the escape room so it was a prefect Covid safe indoor activity and perfect for this rainy day! The host was awesome! He was very friendly and professional. We highly recommended and plan on going back ourselves! read more

First escape room for me. Had an absolute blast, loved the challenging room "The Jester" and the staff was extremely helpful and friendly. Great spot to spend an hour or more of your time. read more

First escape room for our team. Had to have some clues, but finished! Great fun. Lots of puzzles and locks to open. read more

No.1 Escapes - Escape Games Near Me - Irvine, California

Writing this a little bit late but we had a really fun escape room experience! We did the Revolution theme and all the staff were friendly and helpful. Rules were clear and the method for communicating with our team inside the room was very effective. The puzzles to solve were challenging but fun! Would definitely recommend! read more

Awesome escape room experience! I've only done a couple of escape rooms in the past--also, my group wasn't super experienced--and No. 1 Escapes ended up providing a fun challenge for us. The staff is very friendly and the rules are pretty lenient (which I find to be a plus). The facilitator was willing to provide us with as many hints as we wanted throughout, though we didn't NEED to use the hints, obviously. I also liked that they allow people to leave (to use the restroom, for example) and return to the room if need be. The production value was on point--some of the mechanisms that were triggered when puzzles were solved were pretty neat! I also loved the fact that the group bookings are private. We weren't paired with any strangers. I would definitely return to try out the other room in the future! We all had a really fun time! read more

No.1 Escapes - We escaped from the Jester's Revenge room! - Escape Games Near Me - Irvine, California

Just did both rooms and had a great time not sure why this place has negative reviews but overall the experience was great. The staff was extremely friendly and as someone who has done multiple escape rooms I enjoyed both themes that attended read more

We love escape rooms. This was great with our daughter, not scary and still challenging. There were really hard puzzles, and easy puzzles. Morgan was super friendly and helpful when asked questions or needing supporting. We will be back for the other room. read more

We did the jesters revenge escape room and had a ton of fun. Challenging puzzles but not impossible, attentive staff with good hints when needed. I think we used pretty much every piece of the room with no fake clues on the walls, which is kind of an irritating thing that other escape rooms do that just wastes time. Highly recommend especially in groups! read more

We did Jester's Revenge, it was really fun. I liked how our group was split into two rooms for the first part. We had to collaborate/compete through the wall between the rooms. That was a unique element I haven't seen in an escape room before. read more

This was my 2nd time bringing a group of kids to try the Revolution escape room. Both times have been awesome experiences. The workers are so patient, kind and helpful. Today, we celebrated my daughter's 12th birthday and Morgan made the experience extra special for her. We are excited to go back and try the Jester escape room next. read more

Revolution room escapees. Staff friendly, explained experience for our newbies, went over all lock types, answered our questions, and explained how to request a hint if needed. Revolution is a good beginner to intermediate room. Will definitely try Jester's Revenge, the harder room, in the future. read more

Boy, their Jester's Revenge room was hard. You'll definitely like this room if you like puzzles. This room was so different from their Treasure Of The Nation room. And in my opinion, a lot better too. We didn't finish the room in 60 minutes, but they gave us a couple of extra minutes to complete it, because we were the last room of the night. Their hint system was a loud speaker in a jester voice, however, it was soooooo hard to make out. Our team got separated into 2 rooms. I would recommend 5 or 6 people for this room. My team of 4 was split up and I think it was our first failure in a really really really long time. All the puzzles were fair too! I'm excited to see what they have in store next. read more

Took my daughter and her friends to this place, they played The Jester Revenge. My daughter didn't like the Halloween type of theme and prefer to choose a fun theme. They all like it a lot. Group split into 2 rooms, we have 10 and 6 in the bigger room and 4 in the small room. My daughter and her friends able to escape the room 11 minutes shy of the 60 minutes. After this, my daughter said she would like a scary theme in the future. Staff is professional and great. Plenty of parking when we were there and it is on the second floor. I would highly recommend this place for an affordable price compared to other establishments that charged super expensive for this 60 minutes experience. read more

Took my daughter and her friends there for her 18th birthday! She had a blast and loved Dani!

Such a fun and friendly atmosphere for our daughter's birthday. Jessica who was moderating the session was very sweet, patient and attentive to the girls. They had a lot of fun and was such a memorable experience for our daughter. Thank you Jessica and No. 1 Escapes for the entertainment and memories! read more

My daughter wanted to do this for her birthday with her friends. We had 6 girls and they had a blast. The hour flew by and girls had a great time!! Definitely doing this again gets their brains working!! read more

No.1 Escapes - Emma's birthday - Escape Games Near Me - Irvine, California

The room was well thought out and challenging. We all had a great time and would visit the other room as well.